Tyson Fury weighed in lighter than his opponent, Mariusz Wach, for the first time in 15 years as he prepares for their fight in Thailand. The Briton registered a weight of 18st 13lb (120kg), which is 26lb less than Wach’s 20st 11lb (132kg).
This marks only the fourth occasion in Fury’s professional career that he has been lighter than his opponent. His previous instance was during his initial fight against Derek Chisora in 2011. He also weighed less than John McDermott and Daniil Peretyatko over his career, which spans more than 17 years and includes 38 professional fights.
Fury, at 37 years old, is scheduled to face 46-year-old Wach in Pattaya on Friday. The event is expected to host approximately 1,500 fans and will not be broadcast on television. Fury expressed his satisfaction with his current weight, stating, “I’m Mr Slim now. I’m delighted to be here and there are fans here from all over the world.”
Preparation for Future Bouts
The fight against Wach is considered a tune-up for Fury, designed to prepare him for a proposed November showdown with Anthony Joshua. Promoters have indicated that a defeat for either Fury or Joshua in their warm-up matches could jeopardise their highly anticipated fight.
Fury’s last fight was in April against Arslanbek Makhmudov. He is 3lb lighter for this bout than he was for that previous outing. Wach, meanwhile, has a record of 39-13 (20 KOs) from 52 fights and has experienced seven losses in his last 10 contests, including a knockout defeat by Moses Itauma two years ago.
The decision to hold the fight in Thailand is linked to Fury’s training base in the country. The location allows him to maintain a relatively low profile and minimises travel demands. Fury also intends to give back to the local community by hosting the fight at Max Muay Thai Stadium in Pattaya and donating ticket profits to local charities.
Fight Details and Broadcast
The bout is set to take place around 10pm local time (4pm UK) on Friday, with Fury unusually being the first fight on the card. He commented on this, saying, “It’s exciting to box in Thailand. I’m the first one to have done that.”
Despite the significance of the fight as preparation for the Joshua encounter, it will not be shown live. This decision is partly due to the desire to avoid risking the larger fight against Joshua. Wach is seen as a credible and durable opponent who provides a suitable test without significantly jeopardising the future showdown.
While live broadcast revenue will be absent, footage from the Wach fight is expected to be featured in the third season of Fury’s Netflix series, At Home with the Furys. This arrangement is anticipated to help recoup some of the financial shortfall from the lack of live broadcast.
A potential victory for Fury could pave the way for the long-awaited fight with Anthony Joshua, who has his own warm-up bout against Kristian Prenga in Saudi Arabia on Saturday. Fury stated his desire to remain active, saying, “I want to keep busy. I’m not banking on any fight that may or may not happen.”
Fury also mentioned his ambition for the year, stating, “This is the year I want Tyson Fury to stay busy. I may even have 10 fights this year.”
He added, “I’ve had one fight in two years. I want to box his head off for 10 rounds ideally, but if it goes off earlier then that is ideal.”
A loss for Fury against Wach would raise significant questions about his readiness for Joshua and could impact the financial valuations and even the occurrence of the mega-fight. Fury will also be presented with the inaugural WBC Humanitarian title on fight night.
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Source: bbc.co.uk
Leo Ashworth is a Sports News Writer at Latest News UK. He cut his teeth on regional sport before specialising in fast breaking-news writing. He focuses on rugby union, golf and boxing and is known for clear, deadline-driven reporting. He holds a degree in Journalism from the University of Central Lancashire and completed an NCTJ diploma. Now based in Newcastle, he follows the European Tour and boxes at an amateur gym. “Get it right first, then tell readers why it matters.”